Friday, 29 June 2012

2079, the United States has put an experimental maximum
security prison, MS One, in orbit around the Earth. Five hundred inmates who
are deemed to be extremely dangerous have been incarcerated there. All of them
are being kept in an artificial sleep.

To investigate claims that this ‘artificial sleep’ can cause
psychotic behaviour and dementia, the daughter of the President of the United
States, Emily Warnock (Maggie Grace), boards the station. One of the inmates,
Hydell (creepily played by Joseph Gilgun) is awakened to be interviewed. When
Hydell steals the gun from Emily’s body guard Hock (Jacky Ido), things quickly get
out of control. Hydell escapes and awakens all of the other prisoners including
his brother Alex (Vincent Regan) who is more down-to-earth. Emily is taken
hostage.Meanwhile CIA Agent Snow (Guy Pierce) has been falsely
accused due to altered footage of him killing fellow agent Frank Armstrong, who
was investigating a mole selling government secrets. He has also been charged
with espionage. While Secret Service director Scott Langral (Peter Stormare) is
beating him to a pulp trying to get a confession, Snow responds with an
insouciant wisecrack. When news of the occurrences reach the Secret Service
they decide to send Snow to MS One with the sole mission of rescuing the
president’s daughter Emily Warnock and only her. In return, Snow is offered a
pardon from his thirty-year sentence.A fun and entertaining science fiction film that should be
taken as just that, i.e. there is no deep meaning or message.

Special Agent Darris Cain is interrogating inmate Ellis on
Level One of a military state prison. Surveillance tapes had shown that Ellis
had met with an elusive fugitive that Cain has been seeking to apprehend for a
long time. The film has been acclaimed due to its masterful use of green screen
technology and computer graphics.

Angèle (Clotilde Hesme) is a beautiful young woman of 27 years
of age. She is the
mother of Yohan (Antoine Couleau) whom she has not seen in two and a half
years. She had been in jail in relation to the death of his father. She has
just been released and is now adrift and penniless. She must also report to a
counsellor (Patrick Ligardes). She is also trying to regain custody of Yohan.
In order to do this she must get a steady job or marry. Currently Yohan is
being taken care of by his grandparents (Patrick Descamps and Corine Marineau).
The grandmother is hostile towards Angèle.

While
searching for a job and a place to stay, Angèle meets Tony (Grégory Gadbois) who lives with his mother, Myriam (Evelyne
Didi) and his brother Ryan (Jerome Huguet) in Port-en Bassin, Normandy. Tony
and Ryan’s father perished at sea six months ago. Tony wants to move on but
Ryan wants to recover his body. Ryan has been hiring divers to search for it.

Though
Tony dislikes her bluntness, he is attracted to her and invites her to come and
work for him. She agrees to do so. She steals a bicycle in order to get there.

A
well-written first feature that shows that opposites do attract and true love
can allow one to begin life anew. The sea-coast cinematography is picturesque.

Wednesday, 27 June 2012

Luke Wright (Jason Statham), a former cop for the NYPD, is
now a second rate martial arts cage fighter. He is routinely beaten and
receives only chump change. On one particular bout, he knocks out his opponent.
Big mistake! The fight was rigged. The Russian Mafia lost a lot of money so
they NEEDED to TEACH Luke a LESSON. They burst into his home and brutally
murder his family. They let him live but he will be under constant watch. Anyone
he talks to, will be killed. Now he walks the streets of New York City
destitute, ashamed and frightened.With nothing left to live for, he is on the subway platform and
is contemplating jumping off in front of the next oncoming train. At this
moment, the lowest ever in his life, by chance he notices a young Chinese girl (Catherine
Chan) being chased by a group of men. He recognizes them as the same men who
have the destruction of his life as their top priority. With impulsive
instinct, Luke jumps into action and succeeds in bringing the girl to safety
but he has entered into the heart of a high-stakes war. The girl is an orphaned
math prodigy named Mei, who has been working for the Chinese Triads as a
'counter' for the past two years.She has the unique ability to remember long strings of
numbers.Because of this, Mei is being
pursued by the Chinese Triad, Russian Mob and a corrupt faction of the NYPD.
Luke must clear a path through New York City's brutal underworld in order to
bring Mei to safety.As well, this is an
opportunity to redeem his own life.An action thriller that due to the depth of its characters,
the charisma exuded by Jason Statham’s performance and Catherine Chan’s
believable and natural portrayal as Mei, factor in making this one a cut above
the rest of the pack.

Saturday, 23 June 2012

Five college friends (Dana, Jules, Curt, Marty and Holden)
meet to head out for a remote log cabin deep in the woods. All five show the
typical stereotypes: the virgin, the slut, the scholar, the athlete and the
fool. When they stop for gas, they are rudely told that none of
them will survive the 'punishment' they all deserve. When they arrive at their
destination, some very bad things will befall them. You may all be thinking "I'll pass on this one; I have
seen the same story countless times." Not so! As from the vivid
imaginative minds of its creators, Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard comes an
original twist to the story that turns the whole genre inside-out. As the five head out to their impending doom, after passing
through a mountainside tunnel, the camera switches to an overhead view of the
tunnel entrance. A bird flies into the space and is destroyed by a force-field.In a sophisticated industrial facility, two
technicians — Richard Sitterson (Richard Jenkins) and Steve Hadley (Bradley
Whitford) — are getting ready for a 'normal' work day. The normal ‘office
banter’ is taking place including joking with their colleagues and bragging to
other centers around the globe that today will be their day. The technicians are also keeping an eye on our five students
as they settle into the cabin. Flipping a few switches they begin to manipulate
the student’s environment creating the archetypical horror scenario. Even the
behavioural patterns of the students are manipulated – reduced intelligence,
enhanced libido and throwing caution to the wind. They are also taking bets as
to what horror scenario the students will unwittingly get themselves into. All
of the regular clichés are possible depending on they choose to do. There is
also a strict adherence to an established protocol; must be followed, there is
no exceptions. But things never really turn out as they should,
for as the day progresses, things get crazier and crazier and the truth of what
is really at stake is finally revealed.

Wednesday, 13 June 2012

Cosmopolis is a Greek term meaning “An important city, such
as a capital city, inhabited by people from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds.”Eric Packer (Robert Pattinson) is a 28-year-old is in the
top one percent of the super rich ruling class – his estate is worth billions.
He lives in a decadent, isolated and privileged reality as he travels the
streets of Manhattan in a stretch limo that is equipped with all that he needs.
On the day that the president of the United States is visiting, Packer decides
he want to travel across Manhattan to get a haircut despite security risk
warnings by Torval (Kevin Durand), his head of security. During his odyssey, he
comes across many characters, all of whom warn him that reality is threatening
to infiltrate his virtual world and he is about to see his empire crumble.Set in a near New York City future, Cosmopolis is full of
haunting symbolisms, prophetic overtones and allusions to the perception of
reality that most of us find ourselves in, is in fact empty and the ‘outer-world
reality of truth’ is slowly creeping into ours, threatening to destroy all that
we hold dear.

Monday, 11 June 2012

Don’t get me wrong,
music from the Jacobins’ period (19th century) featuring six
overtures and two war and peace anthems written by Étienne-Nicolas Méheul might
necessitate animation and explanation of the period. Anecdotal stories behind a
piece enhance musical compositions, but after the third piece offered by the
superlative Octet of wind instrumentalists, one wanted to hear Lussier Mathieu
(director of the octet) play his bassoon more with Les Jacobins, the fine wind
ensemble he directs, rather than spend far too much time explaining each piece.
The talking seemed longer than the delightful pieces. Furthermore, because his
explanations were only in French, with a few phrases ending in English –
sometimes - I, along with others felt left out. Music is international; it
crosses all linguistic and cultural differences. The fact the composer is not
well known means word must get spread. Surely the Anglophone members of the
audience (some coming from British
Columbia) deserve more or equal consideration. I am
bilingual, but I began to think I wasn’t until the Francophone lady beside me
also expressed her frustration at not understanding each sentence; Lussier’s
enthusiasm is infectious; it is matched by the speed at which he plays his
beloved bassoon. Let’s hope he celebrates the universality of music rather than
create division (unintentional for sure) next time he honours a composer. The
concert titled 'Musical Canvases' was held on June 8th 2012 at Bourgie Hall in the Montreal Museum of Fine
Arts.

Sunday, 10 June 2012

I have taken a first step in an ongoing series to
digitise a discography that I have been compiling since around 1980. At the
moment I have the data on index cards (around 10 trays full). I hope as well to
assemble it all together in a workable data base. If you know of an efficient
way of accomplishing this or what I have on a particular artist please send me
an email to: sylvainmrichard@gmail.com

The posting on this blog will be labelled “Discography”. Hopefully I
will also learn to index.

Saturday, 9 June 2012

Actor, director and screenwriter born 20 March 1989, Montreal, Quebec as Xavier Dolan-Tadros (the son of Manuel Tadros – actor and singer of
Egyptian descent residing in Quebec. Holds the honor of having all of his
films presented at Cannes Film Festival and has won many awards.

It's
Only the End of the World / Juste la Fin du Monde,
+ France, 97m, (2016)

Dolan's latest is a claustrophobic re-imagining of the proverbial
account of the prodigal son.

After 12 years of being away from his family, Louis decides to return
to his hometown for one last afternoon together. He is a writer, but
his correspondence with his family – Mother, older brother Antoine
and younger sister Suzanne – has always been short and written on
post cards. His reason for returning after such a long absence is to
announce his impending death. Louis' return precipitates chaos as
buried memories and heavy sadness rise to the surface. This prevents
him from telling them.

In this, his most
disturbing film to date, Xavier returns to the same territory explored in his
first film I Killed My Mother – the
bond between a dysfunctional mother and her deeply disturbed teenage son. In a
future just around the corner, the Canadian Government has just passed S-14 – a
law that states that if a child’s guardian signs his/her child to be a ward of
the state, then that child will be institutionalized for the remainder of
his/her life. Diane ‘Die’ Desprésfaces this heart-wrenching dilemma. Her 15-year-old son, Steve is unpredictable,
disturbed and dangerously out-of-control.

Xavier’s latest is a psychological thriller exploring the
darker regions of desire and attachment; revealing dark secrets lurking in many
families. Done this with great dexterity and maturity this assures his position
as one of Quebec’s most promising filmmakers. When Tom’s lover Guillaume passes away, he
arrives at the family farm to attend the funeral. He meets Guillaume’s mother
Agathe and older brother Francis for the first time. She warmly welcomes him. She doesn’t know that he and Guillaume were
lovers. To prevent Tom from revealing the truth, Francis begins a strange and
dangerous game of intimidation.

Laurence Anyways, 161m, (2012)

Dolan
has at last matured in this epic and glamorous extravaganza about a man,
Laurence Alia who on his 35th birthday, decides to reveal his desire
to be a woman. Between 1989 until 1999, the
story of Laurence’s tumultuous decision unfolds. The reactions of those around
him — girlfriend Fred
Delair, mother Julienne, students and school board — strongly stresses the point that the claim
of society of its tolerance for marginality is in reality, false. We see
Laurence dealing with homophobia, job loss, stress on his girlfriend and the
reluctance on the part of his mother.

Xavier Dolan’s sophomore effort doesn’t quite live up to the
promise of his debut “I Killed My Mother.” In this film, the director explores
one of the most crippling foibles in human nature, that of the hopeless crush
upon another. In this case best friends, Francis and Marie both develop an
obsessive crush on Nicholas, a mysterious young man. Along with the narrative, Dolan — art house style — intercuts mock interviews with
20-somethings talking about their romantic failures. I found the film to be
somewhat superficial, clichéd and self-absorbed.

Dolan’s debut as a director
is a depiction of a ‘love / hate’ relationship between a mother Chantale (Anne
Dorval) and her 16 year old gay son Hubert (director). It is also coming-of-age
story. According to the director the film is partly autobiographical. I found
many of the scenes in this ‘adrenalin soaked’ film a bit exaggerated and often
got on my nerves. Despite this (this can be attributed to immaturity) I sense a
great deal of promising potential for this young actor / director.

Friday, 8 June 2012

A gifted pianist and dynamo conductor of many of the worlds’ most
prestigious orchestras, Yannick Nézet-Séguin treated the local Montreal
audience to a show of his remarkable talent (he was born here) by leading
several of his favourite fellow musicians in an all-Brahms program held at
Bourgie Hall on June 7th, 2012. The Orchestre Métropolitain has been
his ‘podium’ since 2000, but as a masterful pianist, he dazzles as well. This
was clear in the opening piece – the Brahms Sonatensatz WoO2 (1853) and in the
following Scherzo from the F.A.E. Sonata.

A prodigious performance came
together in the final piece (Quintet for piano and strings in F Minor Op. 32
(1864). The ensemble playing was wonderful in this last piece that made most of
us forget about the vocal singing of Geneviève Lévesque who previously offered
two songs by Brahms. Her voice is thick – but continually so, and as a
mezzo-soprano, her singing last night lacked nuance, along with variable shades
- needed to handle the quick rises and sudden diminuendos that characterize all
Brahms lieder and instrumental compositions. Quite frankly her performance
lacked emotive punch and colour. The songs titled ‘Stilled Longings’ and
‘Sacred Lullaby’, merit exquisite phrasing within an emotional context, yet I
found nothing moving about her voice. I felt some melancholy, but not enough.
She needs to let go more.

Strident, complex and expansive, Brahms demands depth that few can
muster, but the instrumental musicians delivered a really great performance in
the last piece, Quintet for piano and strings in F Minor Op. 34. I just wish
everyone had been more in tune with Brahms from the get-go.Violinist Yukari Cousineau’s playing for me
lacked accentuation and punctuation. It was lacklustre certainly in the
Sonatensatz, but as first violinist in the Brahms Quintet in F Minor, she
certainly redeemed herself.

Passion was most noticeable in Yannick, and so the night really belonged
to him and Brahms. He is presently the Music Director of the Rotterdam
Philharmonic Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor of the London Philharmonic
Orchestra. This September he will become Music Director of the Philadelphia
Orchestra.

Inspired by her visit to the village of Cuetzalan in the
region of Pueblo, Mexico, summer 2011, Paulina honors the rich detailed and
colourful cultural heritage of the ancient techniques of embroidery used by the
women of the region by integrating them into her paintings. She approaches her
paintings with a desire to be guided leaving ample room for spontaneity and
chance. Her paintings, being situated on the limits of abstraction, allow the
viewer to muse and to be transported into a vibrant colorful and moving space.

June 5th
2012: A pioneering collaboration between Le Festival du Nouveau Cinema (FNC)
and Fantasia will bring the prestigious 100-year retrospective highlighting
films produced and distributed by Nikkatsu Corporation. The 16th
edition of Fantasia which will be held from July 7th till August 7th
will present five films and the 41st edition of FNC (October 10 till
21st) will present ten. All presentations will be screened at theCinémathèque
Quebec (CQ). Thanks to the collaboration of the CQ, access to Nikkastsu’s
archives was made possible. A special accreditation pass for the entire
retrospective will be available and details regarding eligibility and prices
are being determined and will be announced when available.

***************************************************June 4th
2012: As a result of recent cuts in the Canadian Federal Government in
the budget destined for Culture, the National Film Board is closing down its
CinéRobothèque complex at 1564 Rue Saint-Denis, Montréal as of September 1st
2012.

Sunday, 3 June 2012

Classic 1992 Japanese animation from Studio Ghibli about a
WWI flying ace that, due to a curse, now has the appearance of a pig. During
the Great Depression of the 1930s, Marco Porcellino (Porco Rosso) works as a bounty
hunter, protecting ships from sky pirates. He is a recluse, soaking up the
sun’s rays on a beach on the Adriatic and listening to old French songs. His
only real social contact and friend is Gina, a cabaret singer and as we later
find out the wife of his best friend Bellini who was shot down during WWI.The sky pirates gain the services of American pilot and
Hollywood actor, Donald Curtis. They want to rid themselves of Porco Rosso. He
is always foiling their plans. During a dogfight, the engine on Porco’s plane fails,
making him an easy target for Curtis. After Porco crash-lands on a remote
island, Curtis claims that he is dead.Porco manages to bring his plane to an old friend of his –
Piccolo S.P.A. Piccolo finds himself without staff as all the males have
emigrated trying to find work and the women stayed behind. This includes his
17-year-old granddaughter Fio. Porco realises that she is a mechanical genius. When he is about to leave in-order to re-engage Curtis, Fio
convinces him to let her come along just in case further adjustments are
required.When they land on Porco’s secret island, the pirates and
Curtis are already there. The pirates want to kill Porco but Fio appeals to
their honour as seaplane pilots. Porco and Curtis agree to a duel. If Porco wins,
then Curtis will pay his repair debt and if Curtis wins, then Fio will marry
him. The next day they meet on a secluded island for their dogfight organized
by the pirates.Porco Rosso is beautifully animated successfully blending
fantasy and history; contains the full spectrum of human emotions.

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Note / Nota:

July 10, 2016:The beginning of a new and exciting chapter! Nancy Snipper's (a.k.a S.N.) first posting on her own blog: http://sntravelandartswithoutborders.blogspot.ca/**********************************************To see all articles on a specific topic, scroll down to LABELS and click on desired LABEL. Full articles will appear one after the other that pertain to that label.Keep scrolling down to view more articles, and at end of page, click on OLDER POSTS to read more.Enjoy!